In our household, we celebrate Halloween the whole month of October. Decorations go up the first weekend, and our daughter gets out her Halloween themed books that we read throughout the season. To kick off Halloween week for our spoiled spookling, we fill her Boo Bucket with a few (too many) themed trinkets from Bullseye’s Playground at Target. Because who can resist that, right? She was born 6 days before Halloween, so she loves the holiday and always has. One of her first words was “Boo!”
While we go all out for her, I’ll admit I’ve always enjoyed this season too! Before we were married and had our daughter, my husband lived in the perfect neighborhood for Trick-or-Treating. The houses were close, streets were short, everyone decorated their houses and participated. There was a family-friendly haunted house, hayrides, and a neighborhood costume contest. We used to decorate the outside of the house, cook chili, and host our friends from work to all come straight over, still dressed in pirate costumes. (He captains, and I manage the Buccaneer Pirate Ship at Destin Harbor.) The whole neighborhood called us “The Pirate House” and the kids loved coming to see Captain Cannonball and his crew after hours for tricks and treats and treasures, and we loved seeing all the kids in their costumes.
Now that we have a home and little pumpkin of our own, we struggle to find a safe, easily walkable, family-friendly neighborhood with many houses participating. If you’re like us, and looking for the best places to take your little ghosts and goblins, I’ve put together a list of some organized Trick-or-Treating events in the Destin-30A area.
Destin Community Center’s Trick-or-Treat Drive Thru Boo will be held on Monday, October 25 from 6-8pm. Drive through to several spooky theme decorated Trick-or-Treating stops in the safety and comfort of your own vehicle. Little goblins will receive goodie bags, candy, and prizes, given out by costumed volunteers. Requested admission is 1 non-perishable canned food item.
Harborwalk Village is hosts Spook Street on Saturday, October 30 from 6-9pm. Trick-or-Treating strolls through the Village, and Family-friendly costume contest struts across the stage at 6:00, with registration beginning at 5:00. DJ Doc Rock spins terrifying tunes from 7:00 to 9:00. Fireworks frighten Destin Harbor and East Pass, shooting off at 9:00 to close out the event and the Destin Fishing Rodeo, followed by Fire Spinning by Autumn.
Halloween Haunt at Destin Commons on Friday, October 29 will be frightfully full of family fun, creepy crafts for kids, fantasy face painting, costume contest for the little pumpkins and pup-kins, and participating stores offer tricks and treats from 6-8pm.
Trick or Treat Street spooks the Village of Baytowne Wharf on October 31 from 6-8pm. Visit Village merchants in costume for tricks or treats. Coconut Kidz hosts the costume contest for the little monsters. A live DJ plays ghoulish grooves, and the night ends with a frightful fireworks show at 8:00.
Bring your dog goblins, and bewitching boys and ghouls out to Halloween on the Boolevard, which haunts Grand Boulevard on Sunday, October 31 from 5-7pm. This eerie event is free, family fun, and dog friendly!
Trick-or-Treat with the spooky Seaside merchants of Central Square on October 31 from 4-6pm, and do the Monster Mash on the lawn with monstrous music playing at the amphitheater.
With so many frighteningly family fun, eerie events, you could Trick-or-Treat all week. Why not?? At least you could really justify the costume! Whether you spent days or weeks making a homemade costume (Way to go, Crafty Mama!) or hard-earned money (they’re expensive) buying it, (No judgment, because Amazon Prime is exactly how this Busy Mama rolls!) I’m willing to bet that your kiddo has already changed their mind about it 7 times! Don’t forget that Trick-or-Treating all week also means more Reese’s Pumpkins for you, Mama!!
What is your little pumpkin going to be for Halloween this year? What is your favorite candy to sneak from their bucket?
